Newts

[Rabid 1,936]

Does anyone know anything about them ? I have discovered one of my ponds is alive with them.

 

Long story short, I moved in last year, and have several ponds, all pretty neglected, all old ponds, the one nearest my house was horrible, stagnant, sludged up to the eyeballs, trees and branches in it, it was about 8 foot deep in the middle, but had approx 2 inches of water in it, the rest was just a black sludge/silt, it's surrounded by trees and never been cleaned out, anyway, I went around it and cut some of the trees back, then got my digger and dug the margins out a little, 'poured the silt in a heap next to the pond to dry out, in the meantime I piped my down pipes into the pond as previously they were going into a Victorian water storage right next to the house and that was leaking badly, the house was real damp, I mean the first 3 foot up the walls all the plaster had dropped off damp !

Anyhow, work on the pond stopped due to my work and weather (I was intending getting the digger in the pond and cleaning it right out for some koi), but last week I noticed two frogs in the pond one evening, then a newt, then another, over the past week I have been checking and see upto thirty or forty newts every evening now, now this pond was totally dead when I moved in, I was checking it daily for months, it was totally stagnant and stunk to high heaven, now it seems to be alive, all manner of things swimming around in it, so gutted as I think it will stop any more work on the digging/clearing, but elated it has come to life.

I will try and get some pics but am no David Bailey !

[neil cooney 10,416]

Lucky you. The newt is nearly a thing of the past in a lot of areas so your pond might be a bit special. I'd definitely leave it alone 'till the tadpoles have left.

Any idea what species they are ? Haven't ye three species in Britain ?

[Rabid 1,936]

No idea Neil, some are very small, about an inch long and a light brown colour all over, some are quite big, maybe 4 inches, I would say the biggest was about 4-5 inches in length and jet black, with bright red underneath, I remember seeing the black ones in a pond on the farm where I was born, but not seen them for probably 30 years.

 

They are really active at night, I use my lamp with a red filter on as that doesn't seem to bother them, very fascinating to watch, they come up and seem to breath air, then go back down and crawl about on the bottom, didn't realise they were so fascinating.

 

I don't know anything about them, when I get a mo I will google them.

[Rabid 1,936]

We all different but I'd do m best to help em, get some pics and that up pal

Yeah, I want them to do well, to the point I will even forget about koi if it means the pond is a good habitat for them, I already got wild duck dropping in regular now, this pond won't be shot ! Can't say the same for the other ones though

 

I love seeing nature at work, keep looking for spawn but not managed to see any yet.

 

Will try and get some pics over the next few nights, not tonight as I am soon of to Southampton to collect the plucker I bought !

[J Darcy 5,871]

 

We all different but I'd do m best to help em, get some pics and that up pal

Yeah, I want them to do well, to the point I will even forget about koi if it means the pond is a good habitat for them, I already got wild duck dropping in regular now, this pond won't be shot ! Can't say the same for the other ones though

 

I love seeing nature at work, keep looking for spawn but not managed to see any yet.

 

Will try and get some pics over the next few nights, not tonight as I am soon of to Southampton to collect the plucker I bought !

 

Ducks hoover up newts like there's no tomorrow.......get the mallards flattened IMO...(obviously when they're in season of course!)

 

Nice to have a pond on ya doorstep...

[Rabid 1,936]

 

 

We all different but I'd do m best to help em, get some pics and that up pal

 

Yeah, I want them to do well, to the point I will even forget about koi if it means the pond is a good habitat for them, I already got wild duck dropping in regular now, this pond won't be shot ! Can't say the same for the other ones though

I love seeing nature at work, keep looking for spawn but not managed to see any yet.

Will try and get some pics over the next few nights, not tonight as I am soon of to Southampton to collect the plucker I bought !

Ducks hoover up newts like there's no tomorrow.......get the mallards flattened IMO...(obviously when they're in season of course!)

 

Nice to have a pond on ya doorstep...

Really. Well, just goes to show, I never knew that, cheers for the info, not just mallards, I got teal and widgeon sometimes too, not many, but a couple brace of each, I don't feed this particular pond as I didn't want this one shot.

 

Yeah I must say I was well chuffed getting this place, got a few ponds and I love em, am feeding a couple of the other ponds for a bit of an evening flight when times right.

[Rabid 1,936]

We got frog spawn here already but sadly we don't get a by newts, they not too far away tho, I know they are a out 3/4 mile away but not seen any closer yet, I'd help em as much as possible, some body will tell ye how to help em do well

Yeah I need to educate myself about them as not ever having any, I know feck all about them yet.

[Rabid 1,936]

Can I put newts in a pond they ain't in? Got a couple koi, couple a wee carp a couple sturgeon and a few Gudgeon, there's a wee shelf with rocks along it to keep the spawn in the shallower end and the fish away from it, when it hatches tho a few tadpoles that wander too far get munched off fish, but most survive, so can I add newts from

A local pond or will they just fook off or be eaten?

I would take a pure guess, knowing our country there will be some law against catching and releasing them in a new area, I would imagine they would stand the same chance as the frogs.

[tomburras 2,729]

Does anyone know anything about them ? I have discovered one of my ponds is alive with them.

 

Long story short, I moved in last year, and have several ponds, all pretty neglected, all old ponds, the one nearest my house was horrible, stagnant, sludged up to the eyeballs, trees and branches in it, it was about 8 foot deep in the middle, but had approx 2 inches of water in it, the rest was just a black sludge/silt, it's surrounded by trees and never been cleaned out, anyway, I went around it and cut some of the trees back, then got my digger and dug the margins out a little, 'poured the silt in a heap next to the pond to dry out, in the meantime I piped my down pipes into the pond as previously they were going into a Victorian water storage right next to the house and that was leaking badly, the house was real damp, I mean the first 3 foot up the walls all the plaster had dropped off damp !

Anyhow, work on the pond stopped due to my work and weather (I was intending getting the digger in the pond and cleaning it right out for some koi), but last week I noticed two frogs in the pond one evening, then a newt, then another, over the past week I have been checking and see upto thirty or forty newts every evening now, now this pond was totally dead when I moved in, I was checking it daily for months, it was totally stagnant and stunk to high heaven, now it seems to be alive, all manner of things swimming around in it, so gutted as I think it will stop any more work on the digging/clearing, but elated it has come to life.

I will try and get some pics but am no David Bailey !

That sounds like hevan, wish I had a pond close by or in my garden. Think I'd prefer a pond full of newts than koi anyway.

[Rabid 1,936]

Sorry guys, been trying to add a pic or two of the pond but keep getting told it's too big !

[J Darcy 5,871]

There is no law against moving smooth and palmate newts . HOWEVER, I have done my fair share of newt reintroductions and I think it is best if it's a case of slowly slowly catchee moneky...

 

fish eat larvae like theres no tomorrow.... believe it or not sticklebacks are probably the worst for it! :yes:

[dytkos 17,784]

 

Can I put newts in a pond they ain't in? Got a couple koi, couple a wee carp a couple sturgeon and a few Gudgeon, there's a wee shelf with rocks along it to keep the spawn in the shallower end and the fish away from it, when it hatches tho a few tadpoles that wander too far get munched off fish, but most survive, so can I add newts from

A local pond or will they just fook off or be eaten?

I would take a pure guess, knowing our country there will be some law against catching and releasing them in a new area, I would imagine they would stand the same chance as the frogs.

Few years back I wheelbarrowed two bin bags full of spawn from a "puddle" in a wood to a fellas pond so that he could attract the otters away from the fish on his stretch of river

 

Cheers, D.

[dytkos 17,784]

Is there protected ones around my area jd? I'm sure father in law said it was newts that disrupted the works??

Great Crested?

 

Cheers, D.

[J Darcy 5,871]

Is there protected ones around my area jd? I'm sure father in law said it was newts that disrupted the works??

Great Crested buddy..... someone these days are making a hell of a lot of money surveying land for these....